By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire
Authorities in Nevada have rekindled the investigation into the unsolved murder of rap legend Tupac Shakur, nearly three decades after his tragic death.
Law enforcement officials disclosed that they executed a search warrant earlier this week, breathing new life into the quest for justice surrounding the rap star’s shooting.
The resurgence of the case follows the June announcement by federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York, revealing charges against a third individual in the 2002 shooting death of Run-DMC star Jam Master Jay.
Authorities in New York said the indictment of Jay Bryant, 49, marked a significant break-through in the case involving the late Jason Mizell, professionally known as Jam Master Jay.
Bryant’s indictment builds upon the prior charges against Ronald Washington and Karl Jordan Jr. in August 2020, as authorities said they have tirelessly pursued leads to unravel the mystery behind the murder of the influential hip-hop icon.
Jay was shot in the head in his recording studio in Jamaica, New York, on October 30, 2002.
His death, occurring several years after the murders of Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G., also sent shockwaves through the music industry.
Meanwhile, in connection with the murder of Shakur, fatally shot on September 7, 1996, Las Vegas police confirmed they executed a search warrant on July 17.
Executed in the nearby city of Henderson, the new warrant has left the public curious about the nature of the search and the specific locations involved.
A police spokesperson refrained from providing additional details regarding the recent progress in the case, including the potential identification of a suspect.
The 25-year-old rapper was traveling in a black BMW driven by Marion “Suge” Knight, the founder of Death Row Records, as part of a convoy of about ten cars, supposedly en route to a nightclub following the Mike Tyson versus Bruce Seldon championship fight at the MGM Grand.
The police confirmed that no other occupants were in the car at the time.
At an intersection near the Las Vegas Strip, while the BMW sat at a red light, a white Cadillac carrying four individuals pulled up alongside it. That’s when one of the occupants opened fire, unleashing a barrage of bullets into the passenger side of Knight’s car.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Shakur sustained four gunshot wounds, at least two of which hit his chest.
A bullet fragment grazed Knight himself or shrapnel from the vehicle.
Following the attack, Shakur was rushed to a hospital, where he battled for six days before succumbing to his injuries.
